Hunters In The Desert

JG-27 in North Africa

Having fought right through the French Campaign and the Battle of Britain, the advance units of JG-27 landed in North Africa on 18th April, 1941 and went straight into combat the next day. They were the first Luftwaffe unit to arrive in this theater and for the next twenty long months the entire Geschwader, under the outstanding command of 'Edu' Neumann, bore the brunt of the great fighter battles over the Western Desert. JG-27 had over 1000 confirmed victories to its credit and were considered quite simply as "The African Jagdgeswader".

Fighter pilots of JG-27 clamber from their Me109s after a mission against the R.A.F. in the Western Desert, June 1942. Above them Hans-Joachim Marseille celebrates his 100th air victory with a low level pass over his dusty airstrip.